What Popeye, Shelley Duvall, and the Temple all Have in Common

Exodus 27: 20-21

Short passage here. God tells them to command the Israelites to bring clear oil oressed of olives to keep the lamps burning. Aaron and his sons are assigned to keep the lamps going from evening until morning. And this ordinance will continue for generations.

Is the lesson here to let your light shine? Show people God working through you? That's certainly a biblical principle- but to me this is more about God shining. It maybe a semantic difference (or even one that exists only in my head), but maybe the point here isn't as much about our good deeds that emulate Christ (which to me is much of Christianity)- but about a sensory reminder that God reigns, even today.

When all around you is falling apart- when nothing else in your life makes sense- when life is nothing but a struggle...there is still a light in the world. When we look to it, we find God...and perspective returns.

When the Israelites need a reminder about Who is in charge in the midst of the night, they need only look to the lights and be reminded- we have a God who cares for us.

And so those of us who serve God today keep those lights going. Not pointing to us- but to Him.